A CALL TO WELCOME THE STRANGER

If you come across the facebook page of Welcome Church, you will see invitations, whether it be to Church on Logan, their weekly worship service at Logan Circle bringing in 30 to 50 people, or Tea Time at Arch Street Methodist Church. But among the invitations and invites there is one that may seem a little unusual, especially for a facebook event. It is for a Memorial Service. It is this Friday, May 27th at 1:00 pm at Ritthenhouse Square. Two photos show that the service is for Tony, a 52 year old man that died suddenly of a heart attack. The location of the service, Rittenhouse Square, was one of Tony’s favorite place.

A location like Rittenhouse Square would not be unique for Welcome Church nor would Sunday worship being held at Logan Circle. This is normal for the only street ministry of the ELCA. What I find unique is that Tony was not even a part of Welcome Church. So why is there a service to remember Tony? I asked Joanna Hertzog, Seminary field-ed student at Welcome Church, she said,“Even though Tony was not part of the community, his friend was, so people will go to support his friend.”

I wondered what community would look like in a street ministry. Do they feel the support of one another? Do they have a sense of embrace and belonging? Do they a desire to live a life of discipleship among one another?

Hertzog made it clear that all of those questions can be answered with a ‘yes’ and Tony’s funeral is a beautiful example of that. And like they always say, ‘Welcome Church is a church without walls.’

Welcome Church makes sense for a city that has a very visible homeless population. And it was that population that Pastor Violet Little noticed when she started working down town. Her awareness led her to the realization that something needed to be done. “God always comes to us where we are, and is willing to touch us in those places we want to hide or are ashamed of,” noted Little.

Little then began the Welcome Center which is housed at Holy Communion Lutheran Church on 21st and Chestnut, a ministry that is still in place today, yet separate from Welcome Church. It soon become apparent that the homeless population was not just looking for a place to be dry and be feed. They wanted something more.

It was then that Little approached the synod in hopes that something could be done. Today the ELCA is proud to have started their first street ministry in the streets of Philadelphia.

The core of the community at Welcome Church is homeless or in a shelter, but due to their very public location, Hertzog noted, they get many spectators during Sunday worship, as well as youth groups and other clergy curious about what a ministry to the homeless of Philadelphia looks like. 

Tony’s funeral made it very apparent that there is a sense of community at Welcome Church, but I was curious as to what it meant to be relational and missional in a place without walls. Hertzog shared that after worship there is a coffee hour, just like we would see at other churches. But Hertzog made clear that this is not just another feeding program, “but this is time together.”

Hertzog went on to describe that there is also very much community within the homeless population. Once an individual is no longer homeless, they have lost community. Their community is homelessness. Unfortunately this often leads people back on a street because they need that sense of belonging.

So I wonder, does the Welcome Church also having the opportunity to break down a system. If one is able to find genuine community within the congregation, will they be able to continue once they are not calling the streets home? It will be interesting to see what the community of Welcome Church looks like in 5, 10, 15 years.

There is one very important thing we can learn from Welcome Church. It is that message of welcome. Hertzog shared a story of a women that went missing for months. They had no clue where she had gone. Just the other Sunday she was back. And what did they do when she returned, welcomed her back with open arms.

It is this very idea of welcome that is often missing from the church. Welcome Church is very transparent about their sense of welcome. It is the neglect of attention that I believe often scares people away from the church. I think of the churches I have stepped into and have left with no one saying a word to me. Are those the communities people are excited to be a part of?

I doubt it.

The city is diverse and like Hertzog mentioned, random. A sense of welcome needs to be extended to all people. It is that first sense of welcome that opens us up to what comes next. In order for any sort of community to begin, both parties, the church and the people of God have to be ready for the embrace. Volf illustrates this with being ready with open arms.

Welcome Church is very willing to open people with open arms. The boundary that most congregations face is the walls that divide them from the world. Welcome Church got over that obstacle with removing walls all together.

What can they tell us about urban community in five words/phrases:
welcoming
diverse locations
community
diverse (mential illiness, faith traditions)
missional

Why Would I visit?
I first heard about Welcome Church in the Fall of 2008. Southeastern Pennyslvania Synod of the ELCA had sent out an invitation for Little’s installation service. And just like weekly worship, it was to be held at Logan Circle. The part that I was always most curious about is what would church look like in the city, especially the city that I call home.

I am skeptic of a lot of things, but it brings me shear joy that this is not just another community service for homeless people. This is a genuine community that brings people together. Although the congregates do not always have a warm bed, does not mean that they are seeking a life with Christ.

This is also the church. When I was asked to write my missional ecclesiology, I fought with the churches response to the world. We so much use the walls of the building to keep up safe from the world. Welcome Church is one of the best examples I have seen of what it means to be the church in the world.

I would also visit because this is part of my BFF’s field-ed site for her middler year of Seminary. I have loved to hear the stories that Joanna has shared about the people and moreover her passion for being the church in this unique and creative way.

Information was taken from:
God made personal at Welcome Church
Interview with Joanna Hertzog
Welcome Church’s Facebook Page